Ward Melville senior Noelle Richardson scores two of her nine points against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Noelle Richardson drives the lane in a League I matchup against Longwood Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville junior Morgan Wenzler battles in the paint against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Lauren Walters drives an open lane against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Lauren Hansen banks two more of her team high 17 points against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Lauren Hansen lays up scoring two of her team high 17 points against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville junior Jamie Agostino scores two of her 11 points on the night against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Bre Cohn lets a three pointer fly on her way to a dozen points against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Bre Cohn drives the baseline against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
Ward Melville senior Bre Cohn scores on a jumper on her way to a dozen points against visiting Longwood in a League I matchup Dec. 17. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
The Patriots girls basketball team got off to a slow start trailing 15-1 early in the first quarter Dec. 17 and even though they rallied back, in the end it was too little too late as Longwood edged Ward Melville 68-65.
Lauren Hansen, above left, had the hot hand for the Patriots at the home game, leading her team with three triples, three field goals and a pair of free throws for 17 points. Bre Cohn, below left, followed with three field goals, a triple netting three from the line tallied 12 points. Jamie Agostino, above right, banked 11. Below right, Ward Melville senior Noelle Richardson drives the lane.
The loss drops Ward Melville to 1-1 in league play 3-1 overall. The Patriots are back in action when they hit the road for another league matchup Dec. 19 against Sachem North. Results were not available at press time.
For more photos from the game, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.
Northport’s Guissepe DeMarco, top, in his first year at varsity level has the advantage over his opponent at 145lbs. Photo by Bill Landon
A three-year varsity wrestler for Northport Jack Marlow, also a returning League II runner up, defeats his opponent at 126lbs to remain unbeaten this season. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior James Campanelli controls his Northport opponent in league competition Dec. 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior James Campanelli scores a takedown against his Northport opponent in league competition Dec. 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport’s Josh Rubin, a four-year varsity wrestler, briefly goes airborne but defeated his opponent at 138lbs Dec. 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West sophomore Logan Hutter, on top, in control of his Northport opponent Dec. 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West sophomore Logan Hutter, on top, in control of his Northport opponent Dec. 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport’s Nick DeMarco, a second year varsity wrestler, maintain control at 99lbs Dec. 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport captain Peter Magliocco, currently ranked fifth in Suffolk County, defeats his challenger Dec 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Northport captain Peter Magliocco, a returning League II finalist, defeats his challenger to remain upbeaten Dec 14. Photo by Bill Landon
Smithtown West senior Ricky Hutter, a first-year varsity grappler, sends his Northport opponent to the mat Dec. 14. Photo by Bill Landon
First-year varsity grappler Tom Tini battles for an escape , on bottom, in the 132lb bracket. Photo by Bill Landon
By Bill Landon
Smithtown High School West’s varsity wrestling team got off to a shaky start on the mats, but battled their way back Dec. 14.
Northport High School briefly took a 19-18 lead over the West Bulls, but Smithtown dropped the hammer late. The team defeated the Tigers, 41-21, in the League III matchup.
The win puts the West Bulls at 2-0 for the season, while Northport dropped to 1-1. Next, Smithtown will take to the road to compete against Mount Sinai in a nonleague match Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. The Tigers will travel to take on Riverhead Dec. 21 at 4:30 p.m.
Danny Bluestein and Wei-Che Chiu, a Stony Brook biomedical engineering
doctoral student, with ventricular assist devices. Photo from SBU
By Daniel Dunaief
Some day, a doctor may save your life, repairing a calcified heart valve that jeopardizes your health. But then, the doctor may owe his or her latest lifesaving procedure to the work of people like Danny Bluestein, a professor in biomedical engineering and the director of the Biofluids Laboratory at Stony Brook University, and an international team of colleagues.
The group is working on restoring blood flow from the heart to the body using approaches for patients for whom open heart surgery is not an option.
Recently, the National Institutes of Health awarded the research crew a five-year $3.8 million grant to work on a broad project to understand ways to improve transcatheter aortic valve replacements, or TAVR, while reducing or minimizing complications from the procedure.
Danny Bluestein with his wife, Rita Goldstein. Photo from D. Bluestein
The grant is “not just about developing a new device, which we’ve been developing already for several years, but it’s also developing it in such a way that it answers challenges with disease and what clinical problems current technology offers solutions for,” Bluestein said.
TAVR provides a prosthetic valve for high-risk surgery patients. Like stents, TAVR is inserted through an artery, typically near the groin, and is delivered to the heart, where it improves the efficiency of an organ compromised by calcification on a valve and on the aorta itself.
Patients who have been candidates for TAVR are usually over 70 and often struggle to walk, as their hearts are enlarged and lose flexibility.
TAVR surgeries are performed in as many as 40 percent of such operations in some parts of Europe and the United States. The numbers have been increasing in the last couple of years as the technology has improved in different iterations of TAVR.
These valves are not only helping high-risk patients, but they are also assisting moderate and lower risk candidates.
Doctors have used TAVR for off-label uses, such as for people who have congenital difficulties with their valves, and for people who have already had open heart surgeries whose replacement valves are failing and who may be at risk for a second major heart operation.
Recovery from TAVR is far easier and less complicated than it is for cardiac surgery, typically requiring fewer days in the hospital.
Indeed, numerous researchers and cardiologists anticipate that this percentage could climb in the next several years, particularly if the risks continue to decline.
The team involved in this research effort is working with a polymer, hoping to reduce complications with TAVR and develop a way to tailor the valve for specific patients.
“If you’re a polymer person like me, you know we can make this work,” said Marvin Slepian, the director of the Arizona Center for Accelerated BioMedical Innovation at the University of Arizona. Slepian is pleased to continue a long collaboration with Bluestein, whose expertise in fluids creates a “unique approach to making something happen.”
The tandem is working with Rami Haj-Ali, the Nathan Cummings Chair in Mechanics in the Faculty of Engineering at Tel-Aviv University in Ramat Aviv, Israel. “To enable this technology, we need to better understand the current” conditions, said Haj-Ali, who uses computer methods to study the calcium deposited on the valve to understand the stages of the disease.
The valve Bluestein is proposing includes “new designs, new simulations, and new materials” that can create “less reactions with patients and overcome” problems TAVR patients sometimes face, Haj-Ali explained.
One of the significant challenges with TAVR is that it typically only lasts about five to six years.
“The idea of the NIH and this project is to extend the built-in efficiency of such a procedure,” Bluestein said. “TAVR is moving very fast to extend its functionality and durability.”
When the valve is inserted into the body, it is folded to allow it to fit through the circulatory system. This folding, however, can damage the valve, making it fail faster than in the surgical procedure.
As a part of this research, Bluestein and his team will explore ways to change the geometry of the TAVR according to the needs of the patient, which will enhance its functionality for longer. Bluestein and others will test these changing shapes through models constructed on high-performance computers, which can test the effect of blood flowing through shapes with specific physical passageways.
“Eventually, the future would involve custom designed valves, which would be optimal for the specific patient and will extend the lifespan of such a device,” Bluestein said.
A current off-label use of the TAVR valve involves assisting people born with an aortic valve that has two leaflets. Most aortic valves have a third leaflet. People with bicuspid aortic valves develop symptoms similar to those with calcification.
Going forward, Bluestein and his team plan to design valves that are specific for these patients.
A small percentage of patients with TAVR also require pacemakers. The device can interact with the electrophysiology of the heart and impair its rhythm because it creates pressure on the tissue. It is likely pushing against special nodes that generate the heart rhythm.
These studies include exploring the mechanical stress threshold that requires implantation of a pacemaker. By moving the device to a slightly different location, it may not interfere with the heart rhythm.
A resident of Melville and Manhattan, Bluestein is married to Rita Goldstein, who is a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Bluestein was raised in Israel, where he did his doctoral work. He became intrigued by the study of the flow of blood around and through the heart because he was interested in blood as a living tissue.
As for the ongoing work, Haj-Ali is optimistic about the group’s prospects. The scientists that are a part of this effort “bring something to the table that, in combination, doesn’t exist” elsewhere, he said.
Out-of-date
beneficiary
designations are a common and costly mistake. Stock photo
By Linda Toga, Esq.
Linda Toga, Esq.
THE FACTS: My brother Joe was dying from cancer and wanted to be sure that all of his assets passed to his wife, Mary, upon his death without the need for court intervention. He mentioned this a number of times, so I assumed he had taken the necessary steps to ensure that his wishes were honored.
The car Joe drove was in Mary’s name and the house in which he lived was jointly owned with Mary. However, Joe had substantial assets in separate bank and brokerage accounts. After Joe died, Mary was told by the bank and brokerage company that Joe never signed any documents indicating that he wanted his accounts to pass to Mary automatically upon his death.
THE QUESTION: Is there any way Mary can get access to the funds in Joe’s accounts without getting authority to do so from the Surrogate’s Court?
THE ANSWER: Unfortunately for Mary, she will have to petition the Surrogate’s Court for authority to access Joe’s accounts. If Joe died with a will and the will names Mary as executrix, Mary will need to file a petition seeking letters testamentary. The petition, an original death certificate and a fee based upon the value of the accounts must be filed with the Surrogate’s Court in the county where Joe lived at the time of his death. Once letters testamentary are issued to Mary, she will be able to access the funds and, assuming she is the only beneficiary under the will, do whatever she deems appropriate with the funds.
If Joe died without a will, Mary will have to petition the court seeking letters of administration. The process and the fees for the administration proceeding are similar to those associated with a probate proceeding. Again, once letters are issued to Mary, she will have the authority to access the funds in the account. Mary will be required to distribute the funds in accordance with the NYS intestacy statute that governs the distribution of estates of people who die without a will. If Joe had children, they will be entitled to a share of the money in the accounts to the extent it exceeds $50,000.
Based on your description of the assets in the separate accounts as “substantial,” I am assuming there is more than $30,000 at issue. If that is not the case, Mary can file with the Surrogate’s Court an affidavit in relation to a small estate to get authority to access the funds in the accounts. The account numbers and the balance in each account must be provided in the affidavit. Mary will be issued a certificate for each account giving her authority to access the account.
It is unfortunate that Mary will have to seek court intervention in order to access Joe’s accounts, but she should take some comfort in the fact that the probate/administration proceedings are not burdensome and that her situation is not unusual. Clients frequently find that the steps taken by a decedent were not sufficient to ensure that their estates pass as the decedent wished.
To avoid this situation, I encourage my clients to periodically review all beneficiary designation and transfer on death forms that have been filed and to review how jointly held property is titled. These steps are critical to ensuring that the client’s estate plan truly reflects the client’s wishes.
Linda M. Toga, Esq. provides legal services in the areas of estate planning and administration, wills and trusts, guardianship real estate, small business services and litigation from her East Setauket office.
What kind of a food columnist would I be if I didn’t write about Christmas cookies every December? And what kind of a Scrooge would you be if you didn’t bake or at least intend to bake Christmas cookies every year? There are times when tradition rules, when you do certain things because you’ve always done them, because your mother and before that your grandmother have always done them and to not do them would be sacrilege. And there is nothing like gathering the kids in the kitchen and making it a tradition that they’ll carry on when it’s their turn.
So here are some uber traditional Christmas cookie recipes — three different versions — cut, pressed and dropped — of the sugar cookie. I have no idea where or when they originated. I just know they’ve been the go-to recipes in our family for years and years. All are wonderful on their own, particularly when surreptitiously snatched from the voluptuously mounded cookie platter, and they all go well with tea, coffee, milk, hot chocolate, eggnog or any holiday spirits.
Spritz Cookies (Pressed)
Spritz Cookies
YIELD: Makes about 6 dozen
INGREDIENTS:
2 sticks room temperature unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2½ cups flour
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl thoroughly combine butter, sugar, egg yolks and extract. Add flour and work in. Divide dough into quarters and place one quarter at a time into cookie press; using desired shapes, force dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 10 minutes until set but not brown. Cool on wire rack 30 minutes and decorate as desired.
Drop Sugar Cookies
Drop Sugar Cookies
YIELD: Makes about 3 dozen
INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
¾ cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 400 F. In large bowl, thoroughly combine eggs, oil, vanilla and lemon zest (if using); gradually add sugar and beat until mixture thickens. In another bowl, blend flour, baking powder and salt and incorporate mixture into first one. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet, flatten each mound with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool immediately on wire rack. Decorate as desired.
Classic Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
YIELD: Makes 4 to 5 dozen
INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl thoroughly combine sugar, butter, vanilla and almond extracts and egg. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; then stir that mixture into first one. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or more.
Heat oven to 375 F. Divide dough in half and roll out each half to ¼-inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered surface. Cut cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake 7 to 8 minutes until light brown. Cool on rack 30 minutes, then decorate as desired.
Gather unused dough into a ball and refrigerate or place in freezer to chill; then repeat roll out procedure.
Holiday plants like mistletoe and holly are poisonous to your pets.
By Matthew Kearns, DVM
Dr. Matthew Kearns
Why do pets like holidays? There are many reasons.
Lots of extra attention!!!!!
Family is home more and friends come over to celebrate. This means lots of extra attention. Most pets enjoy this but some can have some anxiety. Make sure that if your dog or cat tends to get scared with a lot of people around they have a safe haven: a separate room, kennel, etc.
If your pet tends to get so fearful that they might snap or scratch at a guest, it might be best to find a friend to watch them or consider boarding them for a day or two. We commonly board at our clinic not only for vacations but also for a day or two during the holidays.
If relatives are visiting, gently remind them of the danger of leaving medications out. Not just prescription medications pose a holiday hazard; over-the-counter medications are dangerous as well. A single ibuprofen or acetaminophen tablet could cause serious illness in a large dog and be potentially fatal to a small dog or cat.
Lights and decorations
Whether you celebrate the Festival of Lights or “Oh Holy Night,” everyone loves holiday lights and decorations (including dogs and cats). Just make sure that they don’t have access to wires (risk of electrocution), tinsel (GI obstructions) and plants. Plants like mistletoe and holly can cause severe GI problems and sometimes cardiac dysfunction; so make sure they are away from curious paws and mouths. If you have a live tree, the water can become stagnant and bacteria will grow in it; so keep your dog or cat away from it.
Gifts, gifts, gifts
Even pets like gifts and, if your cats are like mine, the boxes gifts come in are more fun than the gifts themselves. Check these toys to make sure toys don’t have strings, ribbons or yarn that could come off and potentially be swallowed. If you like to give bones as treats (and what dog doesn’t love bones), make sure they are not turkey, chicken, pork or fish bones. These bones tend to splinter and present choking hazards, as well as perforate the stomach or bowels.
Food, glorious food!!!
There’s lots of food around and usually on tables within reach of opportunistic dogs and cats. Be careful of leaving food around, especially chocolates. Chocolate has two chemicals: caffeine and theobromine, and both are powerful stimulants. Small amounts cause panting, hyperactivity, increased thirst and urination. Larger exposures of chocolate trigger irregular heart rhythms, seizures, coma and death.
Chocolate is also very high in sugar and fat. Minimally, this will give your pet a tummy ache, but I have personally seen a few cases of serious gastroenteritis, pancreatitis and liver disease from ingestion of large amounts of chocolate and other candy. Any leftover food will tend to grow bacteria and mold on it if left out. Try to make an effort (even after a long night of reveling) to clean up so that you do not have to worry about your pet ingesting leftover treats.
I hope everyone has a joyous and safe holiday season and a Happy New Year. Special thanks to Heidi Sutton and all the staff of the Arts and Lifestyle section for making my column possible and another great year.
Dr. Kearns practices veterinary medicine from his Port Jefferson office and is pictured with his son Matthew and his dog Jasmine.
Three Village Historical Society office manager Sandy White helps a customer at the society’s History Center & Gift Shop. Photo by Beverly C. Tyler
By Beverly C. Tyler
There are plenty of places in the historic Three Village community and surrounding areas that give a sense of place. The upcoming Christmas and winter holiday are good times to purchase a few of the wonderful gifts and books about the local area and to pay a relaxing visit to a few not-for-profit shops that deserve special support.
Three Village Historical Society History Center & Gift Shop, 93 North Country Road, Setauket
The society’s gift shop is expanded to complement the exhibit SPIES! How a Group of Long Island Patriots Helped George Washington Win the Revolution. There you will find gifts including many books, booklets and pamphlets on local history. A new children’s book “Kayleigh and Connor Detectives Inc. and King the Spy Dog” is written and illustrated by Dana Lynn Zotter. Two youngsters visiting their grandfather in Stony Brook discover an abandoned gravestone for a dog and learn about the Culper Spy Ring as they search for the black dog they think is a ghost. Another wonderful book for children is “I Survived the American Revolution, 1776” by Lauren Tarshis, illustrated by Scott Dawson and published by Scholastic Inc. This is the best book for youth I’ve ever read on the Battle of Brooklyn. Here we follow a young boy who is caught up in the battle. Both of these books are thoroughly researched, well-written and illustrated. The gift shop is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the gift shop and exhibits are open every Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. (Closed from Dec. 20 to Jan. 2.) For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.threevillagehistoricalsociety.org.
Gallery North, 90 North Country Road, Setauket
Gallery North is diagonally across the street from the historical society. It is easy to park at one and walk across the street to the other. The entire gallery is a gift shop with many wonderful paintings and gift pieces by local artists for sale. The current exhibit is Deck the Halls. Local artists and artisans have created beautiful paintings, drawings, handmade jewelry, pottery, glass, decorations and much more. Gallery North also is showcasing a diverse range of Long Island art and has Holiday POP-UP Shopping. On Thursdays, Dec. 13 and 20, from 4 to 7 p.m., join them for a glass of wine and refreshment while you meet the artists and shop. Each Thursday evening a different selection of artists and artisans will be offering their handcrafted gifts, jewelry, art and more.
Gallery North is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Deck the Halls exhibit through Dec 22. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.
The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook
The gift shop in the Visitors Center includes books and prints on The Long Island Museum’s exhibits and permanent collections. There are also jewelry, pottery and hand-blown glass items made by local artists as well as hand-turned wood items by local artist Harry Wicks. The Visitors Center includes children’s Revolutionary War era gift items. The current exhibition, Elias Pelletreau: Long Island Silversmith & Entrepreneur, will close Dec. 30, along with the companion exhibition Shaping Silver: Contemporary Metalsmithing. The museum, Visitors Center and gift shop are open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 pm. (Closed Dec. 24 and 25 and Jan.1.) Visit www. longislandmuseum.org for more information.
Reboli Center, 64 Main St., Stony Brook
The Reboli Center has a large collection of wonderful paintings by Joe Reboli. Around the Reboli Center are four sculptures by Long Island artist/sculptor David Haussler. The current exhibit The Gift of Art celebrates the amazing contribution to civilization that art gives, the wonderful gift to friends and family of a piece of art and the generous donors of this year’s gifts to the Reboli Center art collection. In the Reboli Center, wonderful art and crafts are available for visitors to enjoy; and in the Design Shop, paintings, folk art, craft and sculpture are available for purchase as gifts or to decorate your home for this or any season. The Reboli Center is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. (Closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1.) For more information, call 631-751-7707, or visit the Reboli website at www.rebolicenter.org.
St. James General Store, 516 Moriches Road, St. James
This “old-fashioned” general store is run by the Suffolk County Parks Department, Division of Historical Services. Here are two floors of 19th- and 20th-century goods and lots of homemade goodies. They have an extensive collection of old-style candies, many brands dating back to the 19th century. Be sure to try one of their delicious molasses pops. On the second floor are books on Long Island covering many local communities, as well as lots of wonderful children’s books. This is now one good, close, independent bookstore. The back room has an extensive collection of ornaments, some of which are reproductions of antique decorations. Back on the first floor, there is a large selection of toys, dolls and games for children that also harken back to the 19th century. The St. James General Store is open every day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 and open until 3 p.m. Dec. 24 and Dec. 31.) For more information, call 631-854-3740 or visit www.facebook.com/St.JamesGeneralStore.
There are lots of unusual gifts at these five gift shops. If you are buying a gift for someone, you will almost certainly find something to suit every taste. There are many other wonderful local shops in the Stony Brook Village Shopping Center and in Setauket and East Setauket.
In the Village of Port Jefferson, along and around Main Street and East Main Street are many wonderful and unusual shops and restaurants. A special one in Port Jefferson is Secret Garden Tea Room on Main Street. Have a cup of tea, maybe a scone and jam or a delicious lunch and look over their selection of unusual and tea-based gifts. Open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information or reservations, call 631-476-8327 or visit www.thesecretgardentearoom.com.
Finding a special or unusual gift is not only a good idea, it also supports our local businesses and brings us closer together as a community. And you never know who you will run into by shopping locally.
Beverly C. Tyler is Three Village Historical Society historian and author of books available from the society at 93 North Country Road, Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-3730 or visit www.tvhs.org.
A sign announces the coming of Main St. Board Game Cafe on Huntington's Main Street. Photo from Facebook
There’s something different about sitting down to play a board game. Unlike a video game or a movie, a board game with all its little cards and pictures is abstracted. When several people sit around a table with cards stacked in front of them, calculating their next move, they are all transported somewhere different, from haunted houses and mercantile guild halls to the legendary halls of King Arthur’s court.
It’s an experience that several Huntington locals are hoping to bring to Huntington village with the Main St. Board Game Café. Owner Neil Goldberg said he hopes to start construction on the board game parlor and cafe this holiday season.
“I have two kids, 9 and 6 [years old], and they love what their friends love,” he said. “They play video games and they’ll play it until I tell them to stop. I want them to have something where they’re not staring at a screen — where you talk, think, plan and interact with something that has value.”
A pile of board games owner Neil Goldberg said is compiling for Main St. Board Game Cafe. Photo from Facebook
Goldberg said the cafe will have a selection of close to 300 games on hand. He plans to have
a selection of classics, like the popular Settlers of Catan board game and following series,
where players gather resources in an effort to colonize an island. The owner also wants to introduce narrative-based games like Mysterium, where players take on the role of psychic detectives trying to help a ghost, controlled by another player, in finding the person who murdered them. The shop is prepared to host role-playing game groups playing games like Dungeons & Dragons with an in-house gamemaster.
“We love being on our phones, but to a certain extent we’re all sick of it,” said Didi Feuer, one of the upcoming cafe’s employees. “It’s an easy way to spend time, but at the end there’s something not fulfilling about it. I think people are craving a face-to-face social interaction without screens.”
Board game cafes have been cropping all across New York City, but they have yet to have a presence on Long Island. Goldberg said he started playing board games at a young age. He can still remember playing such classic games as Scotland Yard and Stop Thief!, but eventually forgot much about them as adulthood set in. For more than 20 years, the future cafe owner worked as a producer for New York One’s sports programming. Eventually NY1 canceled its sports broadcasting, but Goldberg was already starting on another tack when a friend of his alerted him to a remake of Stop Thief! on Kickstarter.
“You ever have a rosebud moment?” Goldberg said, referring to the catalytic moment of the 1941 movie “Citizen Kane.” “I’m in my mid-40s and I flashback to being 10 or 12 years old.”
The space will also include a cafe area, where Goldberg expects to sell coffee and other soft drinks. If the new business can secure a license, he hopes to sell wines and craft beers selected from local breweries in the evening.
Goldberg said he expects the board games will be the element that draws in the crowds. The last several years have been kind to the board game industry, according to Goldberg. With the advent of crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter, new and unique games have had the opportunity to reach out and find support directly from the audience interested in playing them. The new business owner said he wants to bring these games into the limelight and take the stigma away from the industry that the only games available are Monopoly or Scrabble.
“With tabletop board games there is infinite complexity, infinite aesthetics and an infinite number of things one can accomplish.”
— Neil Goldberg
“With tabletop board games there is infinite complexity, infinite aesthetics and an infinite number of things one can accomplish,” Goldberg said.
So far, he has hired a number of experienced people in the gaming industry, including Feuer, who previously worked at the Brooklyn Strategist and another board game cafe in the city. Feuer plans to help run its after-school programs, one group for kids in first and second grades, with another group for third- through fifth-graders. There will also be a Dungeons & Dragons group available for older children.
The after-school programs will be designed to start out with simple games, such as Othello and Azul, before progressively introducing more difficult games and choices players can make more complex. Feuer said tabletop games are unique in how they teach kids basic skill, like reading comprehension, mathematics and deductive skills, in a social environment.
“Everyone’s sitting down and agreeing that right now there’s an island called Catan, and right now our job is to find resources and settle Catan,” Feuer said, “It’s teaching kids they have the capability, that they can show that they did focus for two hours and still have fun.”
Goldberg said he expected to start renovations after the Thanksgiving holiday. The location will be at 307 Main St. in Huntington and, hopefully, open for business in early 2019.
The Three Village Historical Society hosted its annual Candlelight House Tour on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. In celebration of the 40th anniversary of this annual holiday event, the tour featured six locations, which included five residences, each individually decorated by a talented local interior designer, and a rare look inside the Setauket Grist Mill. Participants also had the option of attending an evening reception at the Old Field Club or breakfast at the Stony Brook Yacht Club,
Decked out in holiday splendor, every location welcomed an unprecedented number of visitors and was staffed by a rotation of dedicated volunteers. Though presented through a fresh vision, tours of yesteryear were acknowledged through the inclusion of certain houses that had been previously featured.
Additionally, Eva Glaser and Liz Tyler Carey, who were inaugural event chairs, returned as decorators for one of the homes, which also featured a pop-up holiday boutique consisting of unique gift items. All proceeds from those sales went to the planned restoration of the Dominic Crawford Barn.
The nearly sold out event raised a significant amount of money for the Three Village Historical Society’s Education Fund. Many people gave of their talents, time and services to create the festive fundraiser.
This beloved seasonal tradition would not exist without the generosity of the event chairs, Patty Cain and Patty Yantz, as well as the food and beverage sponsors, homeowners, Three Village Historical Society administrative staff, house chairs, decorators, volunteers, members, supporters and community at large.
'A Day at the Movies' by Donald Sadowsky - Honorable Mention
'Heckscher Museum' bu Theo Lau - Honorable Mention
'Eaton's Neck Arrowhead' by Kate Sydney - Honorable Mention
'Starry Night at the Fire Island Lighthouse' by Alissa Rosenberg - Honorable Mention
'The Memory' by Christine Carbone - Honorable Mention
The Huntington Arts Council recently unveiled its latest exhibit, Discovering Long Island.The juried show features the works of over 40 artists who were selected after submitting work inspired by Long Island’s history and to create a work that focused on an aspect of Long Island’s cultural and natural heritage. Some suggestions were the seaside industry, farm life, Native Americans, the American Revolution, art colonies, photos and paintings of historic landmarks and sites, portraits of reenactors, sculptures of ancestors and assemblages with local artifacts.
Participating artists include Beth A. Atkinson, Anne Barash Breitstein, Holly Black, Paul Cammarata, Christine Carbone, Dorothy M. Chanin, Philip Costa, Joseph Cutolo, Madeline Daversa, Doris Diamond, Vicki Mies Field, Jim Finlayson, Phyllis Goodfriend, Jan Guarino, Rodee Hansen, Beth Heit, Gerry Hirschstein, Geraldine Hoffman, Sonya Horowitz/SRH Perspectives, Melissa Johnides, Kate Kelly, Theo Lau, Jacques LeBlanc, Edward Lee, Melissa Maiello, Carol A. Marano, Jane McGraw, Kristen Memoli, John Micheals, Drigo Morin, Amanda Prangenberg, Howard Pohl, Denis Ponsot, Alissa Rosenberg, Saul Rosenstreich, Jim Sabiston, Donald Sadowsky, Michelle Sepanski, Roya Shamsdiba, Joan Sicignano, Kate Sydney and Don Wilson.
“The works submitted for the Discovering Long Island exhibition were an excellent representation of the spirit of the local landscape and community. I truly enjoyed seeing how the artists conveyed this spirit through varying mediums, from traditional paintings and photographs to three-dimensional and abstract pieces,” said juror Stephanie Gress, director of curatorial affairs for the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport.
Gress chose Anne Barash Breitstein of Huntington’s “Baymen” as Best in Show. Honorable Mentions included “Starry Night at the Fire Island Lighthouse” by Alissa Rosenberg of Commack, “A Day at the Movies” by Donald Sadowsky of Roslyn Heights, “Eaton’s Neck Arrowhead” by Kate Sydney of Northport, “The Memory” by Christine Carbone of Kings Park and “Heckscher Museum” by Theo Lau of Northport.
“Long Island is rich with history and the submissions for this show truly reflect the uniqueness of this call to artists. It’s wonderful to see how artists presented their interpretations is such diverse ways with featuring everything from Long Island lighthouses to an image of a hat maker to a pastel portrait of Walt Whitman. This is a terrific show,” said Executive Director Marc Courtade.
The Huntington Arts Council’s Main Street Gallery, 213 Main St., Huntington will present Discovering Long Island through Jan. 5. For more information, call 631-271-8423 or visit www.huntingtonarts.org.
To see more images from the exhibit, visit www.tbrnewsmedia.com.
YIELD: Makes 4 to 5 dozen
I hope everyone has a joyous and safe holiday season and a Happy New Year. Special thanks to Heidi Sutton and all the staff of the Arts and Lifestyle section for making my column possible and another great year.
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